The present invention relates to a hitch anchoring assembly which is mounted to the flatbed of a vehicle or trailer for engaging the hitch of a vehicle for securing the vehicle to the flatbed of the vehicle or trailer.
It is common practice for all terrain vehicles, known as ATVs, to be used in sports and recreation. Accordingly, it is often necessary to transport the ATV to the site in which it is to be used or driven. The transport of the ATV or vehicle is generally accomplished by loading the ATV onto the flatbed of a pickup or onto the flatbed of a trailer for transport. However, it has been found that ATV vehicles and other vehicles, for example, lawn mowers, small tractors, snowmobiles and other types of vehicles, are transported on flatbed of trucks or trailers and possess several types of hitch plate designs. Such hitch plate designs may include a trailer ball or include structures which are positioned at various heights from the flatbed surface. Accordingly, such positions prevent proper securing of the ATV or vehicle via the hitch plate to the flatbed of the vehicle. Consequently, it has been suggested that various strap-type assemblies be used to engage the axis or hitch plate of the ATV or vehicle to secure and anchor the ATV or vehicle to the flat-bed. However, such assemblies require rubber tie-down straps, chains and/or wire to be used to secure the ATV or vehicle to the flatbed. Moreover, on many occasions, such securing assemblies fail during transport of the ATV or vehicle thereby resulting in damage to the ATV or vehicle and, on rare occasions, to injury to the person transporting the ATV or vehicle.